The Canberra Comedy Festival is letting us know how their first year went!
The inaugural Canberra Comedy Festival, which ran from March 19th March 23rd, showed that Canberrans have an appetite for Comedy – posting whopping audience numbers in its first year.
The festival hosted a range of local, interstate, and international comedians performing over 28 shows, [...]

[ 19 March, 2013 to 23 March, 2013. ] I was lucky enough to be a guest of the Canberra Comedy Festival for their gala showcase tonight.

While Andrew Barr was speaking (and making a pretty well delivered joke about having to play the straight man) his staff emailed out a media release sharing his thoughts:

This evening I officially opened the inaugural Canberra Comedy Festival, [...]

Have you watched the video yet? Do it. I’ll wait. I don’t want to ruin it for you.
My original title for this article was going to be ‘Magical fortune telling iPhone app helps Sarah from Belconnen not sleep with a hipster’ but that would be giving it all away.
Everything about this clip is amazing. From [...]

[ 20 March, 2013 to 21 March, 2013. ]

Not actually delayed. That’s the name of her show. Celia Pacquola is performing at the Canberra Comedy Festival on the 20th and 21st of March according to her media release.

One of the best comedians on the Australian circuit, and now making waves
internationally, Celia won the Age Critics Award at the 2011 Melbourne
International Comedy [...]

[ 10 January, 2013; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ]

A stand-up comedy show featuring one of the UK’s most acclaimed and experienced comedians and 3 of Australia best up-and-coming comedic talent will hit Canberra in January.

The Must See Comedy tour features the UK’s Jeff Green, known by many for his appearances on television shows such as Good News Week and Spicks and Specks.

“The funniest [...]

[ 27 September, 2012; 6:00 pm; 28 September, 2012; 6:00 pm; ]

Normally if Canberrans want to be in a TV studio audience they have to make the trip to Sydney.

But Southern Cross Ten are letting us know they’re going to be shooting a new comedy “The Green Room” at their Watson studio and the public are invited to be in the studio audience.

This week we [...]

[ 3 October, 2012; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ]

El Jaguar (Canada) dropped in for a short guest spot at Comedy Club at The Civic Pub in 2011 and blew audiences away. We’re all intrigued to see what El Jaguar has in store for us for this headline set.

A retired and washed up former WWF luchador, (a masked Mexican wrestler), and emotionally broken, single [...]

This in from Charlie Black:
The Hot Five is back! Come and watch some of Canberras up and coming stand up comics battle it out with their best five minutes for a chance to win $1000 Cash! This event will be running over five weeks with a lineup of all star hosts. Logon to http://comedyact.com.au/ [...]

[ 11 September, 2012; ] Comedy Club at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre welcomes Kale Bogdanovs to headline on 11th September.

Before he leaves Australia, the four-time Melbourne International Comedy Festival performer is recording a CD to show the world what he can do. Come and support one of Comedy ACT’s favourite sons and a genuinely unique and brilliant performer.

The bar is open, support acts [...]

[ 5 September, 2012; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ]

Bart Freebairn has been around the comedy scene for a little while with appearances on Triple J, Abc and The comedy channel. No stranger to the Australian Comedy circuit Bart has brought his fresh left of centre style to Melbourne comedy festival and Adelaide Fringe Festival. People who work at [...]

[ 13 August, 2012; 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. ] Launched on the 30th April 2012 Mondayitis Cabaret is a fringe night spanning genres from burlesque to ballroom and comedy to cabaret; begun by local burlesque performer Chocolate e Claire to give local performers a venue to display their talents and to raise funds for the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service. Their first show sold out and after a few technical difficulties was a great success.
Mondayitis Cabaret has launched their next event ‘Secret Lives’ for Monday August 13th to a fantastic response. Hosted by production manager and local burlesque performer Ivy Ambrosia and with a line up including local burlesque and drag performers, musicians, singers and pole dancers it’s promising to be a great night with a little something for everyone.

[ 1 August, 2012; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ]

Since winning the prestigious national Raw Comedy Competition in 2010, Luke Heggie has gone on to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and on national television, and sold out runs of shows at the Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festivals. Heggie will be performing his festival show, “Master of None”, as part of the next Comedy [...]

[ 30 June, 2012 to 7 July, 2012. ] Improvention is the largest festival of improvised comedy and theatre in Australia, and it happens right here in Canberra!

From Saturday 30 June through to Saturday 7 July, there will be festival shows on every night in numerous venues across Canberra. Performance program is available at: www.improvention.com/program

Improvention 2012 opens with a Celebrity Gala on Saturday 30 [...]

[ 14 June, 2012; 8:00 pm; ]

On June 14 come check out the best of Canberra’s comedy talent at the CIT Music Industry Centre. Also featuring some musical interludes from Lavers. The gig will be filmed by CIT Media students. Some parts of the show might include coarse language and potentially offensive material.

Doors open 7:30pm for 8:00pm [...]

[ 6 June, 2012; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ]

Ex-Canberran comic Toby Halligan headlines Comedy Club at The Civic Pub on June 6.

Toby Halligan is one of Australia’s most exciting young comedians and improvisers. A NSW Raw Comedy semi-finalist, and winner of the Worlds Debating Comedy Award in 2003, he’s performed at the Midsumma Festival, LOL Comedy at Melbourne Fringe, on [...]

[ 1 May, 2012 8:00 pm to 2 May, 2012 10:00 pm. ]

Jay Sullivan is the drunk monk. Well, almost. He is a bald semi-Buddhist and, by his own admission, “has no sex or possessions.” Sounds like a monk to me. Not for the faint hearted but with wisdom to impart, Jay’s new show: “I Am the Drunk Monk” shows why he is not only Canberra’s favourite [...]

[ 14 February, 2012; 8:00 pm; ]

Comedy at the Civic Pub on Valentine’s Day.

Just in case you need a laugh.

This week’s shout out goes to the funny men and women of Canberra.
Stand-up comedy must be one of the hardest gigs in the world – it’s just so easy to fail!  A comedian asks more from their audience than any other performer.  They ask the audience to laugh every few seconds, and if the audience [...]

[ 18 January, 2012; 8:00 pm to 10:30 pm. 19 January, 2012; 12:00 am to 10:30 pm. ]

A stand-up comedy show featuring one of Australia’s most acclaimed and experienced comedians and a host of the country’s best up-and-coming comedic talent will hit Canberra in January.

The Must See Comedy tour features Bob Franklin, known by many for his appearances on television shows such as The Librarians, Thank God You’re Here and The Jimeoin [...]

Featuring Cy Fahey & Frederich Jones with support Kale Bogdanovs and Jay Sullivan
In preparation for the 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the boys are holding their uniquely comical previews at the TAC. Cy who presents quality stand-up with a fresh perspective talks of modern life as a young indigenous male in the [...]

[ 2 December, 2011 to 3 December, 2011. ]

Facebook informed me of this and it seemed too good not to share:

My new solo show. 2 NIGHTS ONLY! Tuggeranong Arts Centre. Check out the poster. 2nde and 3rd.

Kale Bogdanovs and other special guests will help me paint a picture of Europe.

I’m starting to get excited…

[ 2 November, 2011; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ]

Michael Connell began getting laughs at the age of three in his back yard with the Hills Hoist acting as stage and curtain, and he hasn’t stopped performing since.

Over the years Michael has had great success within the Comedy Industry. He has performed several shows in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. [...]

[ 22 September, 2011; 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. ]

This should be a really fun night. 6 rounds of trivia hosted by Jay Sullivan, interspersed with short comedy performances from Emo Parsonson and Hamish Hudson. Trivia topics include Music, Science and Technology, Sports, Film and Television, Trivial Trivia, History and Geography.

The night is being run by CIT 1st year Music Technical Production students as [...]

Former local comedian Dayne Rathbone has placed 2nd in the UK’s biggest comedy competition, So You Think You’re Funny, part of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Having won RAW Comedy at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival earlier this year, he was flown down and given immediate entry into the competition.
In both RAW Comedy and So You Think You’re [...]

[ 7 September, 2011; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ]

On Wednesday 7 September, Comedy Club at the Civic will be featuring Jimmy James Eaton, a rising star in Australian standup comedy and improvisation. He’s performed extensively across Australia’s live comedy and theatre industry, the corporate and mining industries, as well as touring overseas to London and Edinburgh. He has also presented for and appeared [...]

[ 3 August, 2011; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ]

August Comedy Club at Civic Pub features Paul McMahon, an ex bank manager come comedian who lives in the Byron Shire.

Paul has been performing stand-up since 2008 and has grown in confidence and gained success with his laid back style of observational humour that we can all relate to. He has been a Triple J [...]

[ 1 June, 2011; 8:00 pm; ]

Comedy Club at Civic Pub will be entering it’s 3rd year of being the best regular comedy club night in the capital on June 1, with a huge line-up featuring interstate and international guests.

Headling the night will be one of the country’s freshest up-and-comers, Karl Chandler, who is touted as one of the best writers [...]

The Canberra comedy scene has seen some exponential growth recently, boosted by Canberra’s Dayne Rathbone heading to Edinburgh soon after winning the national Raw Comedy competition and a run of sell-out shows by Capital Punishment in Melbourne and an ever-growing number of open-mic performers keen to get up and have a go. As a result, the Pot Belly open-mic [...]

[ 22 May, 2011; 29 May, 2011; 5 June, 2011; ] Theatresports North vs South is a fast and fun-filled theatre ride which combines wit, comedy, drama and fearless public performance to answer Canberra’s definitive question ‘which side of the lake is best?’

[ 4 May, 2011; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ]

Melbourner Mick Neven has been a regular performer at Stand Up Comedy venues around the country for the last 7 years. In that time he’s opened for Meatloaf, auditioned for Puppetry of the Penis and worked in a Cheese Factory, truly experiencing life’s highs and lows. From sharp observations to engaging [...]

Canberra’s Dayne Rathbone has been named the best up-and-coming amateur comedian in Australia after taking out the prestigious Triple j Raw Comedy competition for 2011. 
Rathbone overcame 11 other finalists and more than 1000 entrants from around Australia to win the national final. He wins a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to perform in the [...]

[ 20 April, 2011; 8:00 pm; ] Wooping it up just before the Easter break is the Open Mic Comedy night at the Pot Belly Pub. Tap a friend on the shoulder and say ‘Its Time’, you need to get up on stage ROOKIE and have a lash at it, or maybe you are EXPERIENCED and want to kick it fun stylee, [...]